Breaker plate structure



Nov. 12, 1963 -r. E. BRIDGEWATER 3,110,449

BREAKER PLATE STRUCTURE Filed July so, 1962 INVENTOR 72077245 I United States Patent 3,119,449 BREAKER PLATE STRUCTURE Thomas E. Bridgewater, Elmhurst, Iii. Adams Engineering C0., 20 E. Burlington Ave, La Grange, Ill.) Filed July 30, 1962, Ser. No. 213,321 Claims. (Cl. 241-291) The present invention relates to a novel crushing appa ratus, and more specifically to a novel impact type crushing apparatus.

A crushing apparatus of the type contemplated herein usually includes a central impeller for accelerating and throwing material to be processed outwardly and against a breaker plate structure. Such a breaker plate structure is constantly subjected to high impact stresses and also to heavy abrasion. Certain areas of such a breaker plate structure are frequently subjected to more of the material being processed and thus suffer greater wear than other areas during any given processing operation, and such areas of greatest wear may vary, depending upon the size and other characteristics of the material being processed.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel crushing apparatus having a breaker plate structure constructed for resisting impact and abrasion forces applied thereto and for reducing maintenance costs.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel breaker plate structure which is constructed so that portions thereof which have been subjected to the greatest wear may be separately and individually replaced whereby maintenance costs may be reduced.

A further specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel breaker plate structure which includes a plurality of separate parts constructed for facilitating easy and rapid assembly or disassembly and for assuring firm abutment of the parts with respect to each other when they are in an assembled condition.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified partial vertical sectional View showing a crushing apparatus incorporating features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view showing a portion of a breaker plate structure incorporating features of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a crushing apparatus incorporating features of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus comprises an upstanding cylindrical housing or casing 12 having a cover 14 thereon. An impeller 16 is mounted centrally within the housing 12 on an upper end of a substantially vertical rotatable shaft 18 for receiving material to be processed through an opening 20 in the cover 14.

An electric motor 22 is mounted outside of the housing 12 for driving the impeller 16. A pulley 24 is secured to the drive shaft 26 of the motor for driving an endless belt 23 which in turn encircles and drives a pulley 3t) fixed on the lower end of the impeller shaft 18. The impeller is adapted to be rotated at high speeds for accelerating and throwing material to be processed laterally outward and against breaker plate structures 32 constructed in accordance with the present invention in the manner described in detail below and mounted around the interior of the housing 12 radially outwardly from the impeller.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, each breaker plate structure 32 comprises a main body member 34 which is formed from a suitable steel alloy having high strength and resistance to impact loads. The body portion 34 has a substantially flat wall supported back surface 36 which is adapted firmly to engage and to be supported by a flat surface of a mounting bracket member 38 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The bracket member or plate 38 is supported so that one end thereof is substantially closer to the interior surface of the cylindrical housing 12 than the other end as shown in FIG. 4. More specifically one end of the bracket member 38 is welded or otherwise fixed to a short lug 40 which is welded to the interior surface of the housing 12 while the opposite end of the bracket member 38 is secured to a relatively long arm 42 which is also welded to the interior surface of the housing 12. The breaker plate structure 32 is thus supported at an angle with respect to the housing for presenting a forward face thereof at angles to the trajectory of material being thrown from the impeller for promoting more efficient crushing action.

In order to protect the main body member 34 from direct engagement with and abrasion by the material being processed, sets of removable inserts 44, 46 and 48 are mounted across the forward side of the body member 34. The body member is provided with upper and lower marginal flanges 5i and 52 at the forward side thereof, which flanges respectively project vertically upwardly and downwardly as well as forwardly for increasing the vertical extent of the breaker plate structure without unduly i11- creasing the mass of material required for the body member 34. The flanges 5t? and 52 and the entire front side of the body member 34 are curved in a manner such that the body member increases in thickness from its end located adjacent the housing 12 toward its opposite end whereby to aid in presenting the impact surface of the breaker plate structure at desired angles with respect to the trajectories of the individual particles of material being processed for promoting a more eflicient crushing action. The flanges 50 and 52 present smooth vertical forwardly facing arcuate surfaces or seats 54 and 56 for the inserts 44 and 46, which inserts in turn provide seats for supporting the inserts 48.

In order to retain the inserts in assembled relationship with the body member 34, a groove 58 is formed in the downwardly facing surface of the flange 50 and an essentially identical groove 69 is formed in the upwardly facing surface of the flange 52 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of the inserts 44- includes a vertical portion 62 presenting a fomwardly facing impact surface 64 and a rearwardly facing surface 66 complementary to and adapted to firmly abut against the surface 54 of the flange 54 In addition each of the inserts 44 includes a laterally rearwardly extending portion 68 adapted to project beneath the flange 50 and having an upwardly projecting hook portion 70 for extending IMO the groove 58 and thereby restraining forward displacement of the insert relative to the flange 50. The inserts 46 are identical to and are, in fact, inter-changeable with the inserts 44. Thus the inserts 46 also include vertical portions 62 for extending across the front surface of the flange 52 and laterally reanwardly extending portions 63 having hook elements 70 adapted to engage within the groove 66. As shown in FIG. 2, transverse webs 72 are disposed across the slot 60 at spaced locations for entry into notches '74 provided in the hook element 70 of the inserts for locking the inserts against longitudinal displacement relative to the body member. Identical transverse web elements are provided at spaced intervals across the groove 58 for similarly locking the inserts 44- against longitudinal displacement.

Each of the inserts 48 has a vertical and curved forwardly facing impact surface 76 complementary to the impact surfaces of the upper and lower inserts 44 and as. Upper and lower surfaces 78 and 8d of each insert are tapered or beveled rearwardly toward each other and are adapted to abut complementary beveled surfaces or seats 82 on the upper and lower inserts 44 and as as shown in FIG. 3.

Each insert 48 is provided with a rearwardly projecting extension 84 adapted to fit loosely within an opening 86 in the body member 34. A vertically extending aperture 88 is formed through the extension 34 for alignment with apertures 90 and ,2 provided in upper and lower margins of the body portion 34. A tapered pin or wedge 94 is insertable downwardly through the aperture 90 and into the apertures 88 and 92 for acting between rearw ardly facing surfaces of the apertures 96 and 92. and a forwardly facing surface of the aperture 88 for drawing the insert 48 firmly and securely against the beveled surfaces or seats 82 of the upper and lower inserts 44 and 46. This action also forces the upper and lower inserts aggressively against the seats 54 and 56 of the flanges 5t} and 52 whereby the inserts are not only firmly and securely forced together so that they support each other, but they are also fir-mly supported by the body member 34 whereby to minimize any possibility of injury thereto as a result of impact or shock loads.

In the embodiment shown, the body member 34 is adapted to accommodate three sets of the inserts 4d, 46 and 43. Thus, in addition to the elements shown in the exploded perspective View of FIG. 2, the breaker plate structure 32 would include three upper inserts 44 and two additional inserts 48.

Hook elements 6 and 98 are formed integrally with an upper marginal portion of the body member 34 and project rearwardly therefrom for engaging over an upper edge of the bracket plate 38 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This simple structure enables each breaker plate assembly 32 to be quickly and easily assembled with or removed from its associated supporting bracket.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, it is seen that each breaker plate structure 32 is longer than the member of its associated supporting bracket. The supporting brackets are arranged close together so that the relatively thin end portion of a breaker plate structure 32 mounted on one of the brackets will project in overlapping relationship behind the relatively thick end portion of an adjacent breaker plate and to a position adjacent the member 42 of the adjacent supporting bracket. This overlapping arrangement of the breaker plate structures serves to protect the housing 12 and the elements of the supporting brackets from direct impingement by particles of material being processed which are projected from the impeller 16.

As previously indicated, different areas of each breaker plate assembly may be subjected to different amounts of wear during a material crushing operation. For example, it may be found that when material having a certain particle size and certain density is being processed, a majority of the material may be directed against lower marginal portions of the breaker plate structures so that the lower inserts 46 receive the greatest amount of wear. With the present structure, the inserts l6 may be replaced individually without replacing their associated inserts 44 and 48 whereby substantial savings in maintenance costs may be obtained. It may also happen that one end portion of the breaker plate structure receives a greater amount of wear than the other. In such an event one or all of the inserts of a given set of inserts may be re placed without disturbing or removing the remaining sets of inserts. Thus a significant reduction in the amount of time required for removing and replacing the worn part or parts may be obtained along with a reduction in the amount of stock material required for the replacement parts.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In an impact crushing apparatus of the type described, an upstanding generally cylindrical housing, a plurality of brackets mounted on and annularly spaced around the interior of said housing, each of said brackets including a first member of predetermined length disposed with one end thereof spaced inwardly from said housing and a second member secured between said one end and said housing, and breaker plate structures respectively mounted on said brackets, each of said breaker plate structures having a length greater than said predetermined length, each of said breaker plate structures engaging said first member of its associated bracket substantially throughout the length of said first member, each of said breaker plate structures extending beyond opposite ends of its associated first bracket member and overlapping an adjacent breaker plate structure, each of said breaker plate structures including a main body member and insert means substantially covering a forwardly facing side of said body member, said inser-t means including a portion projecting into an opening in said body member, said body member having aperture means therein traversing said opening, said projecting portion having aperture means therein aligned with said first mentioned aperture means, and a pin element extending into both of said aperture means and drawing said insert means against said body member.

2. An impact crushing apparatus, as defined in claim 1, wherein said body member comprises vertically spaced upper and lower marginal laterally inwardly projecting flanges respectively including generally downwardly and upwardly facing surfaces, said upper and lower flanges respectively having generally longitudinally extending groove means in their respective downwardly and upwardly facing surfaces, and wherein said insert means includes upper and lower insert members disposed against said upper and lower flanges, said upper and lower insert members respectively including elements projecting into the groove means of said upper and lower flanges, and 'an intermediate insert member disposed between and bearing against said upper and lower insert members, said intermediate insert member including said projecting portion into which said pin element extends.

3. A breaker plate structure for an impact crushing apparatus of the type described comprising a detachably mountable main body member, insert means removably substantially covering a forwardly facing side of said body member, said insert means including upper and lower insert members and an intermediate insert member disposed therebetween, interengaging means between said upper and lower insert members and said main body member for restraining said upper and lower insert members against lateral separation from said main body member, said intermediate insert member bearing against said upper and lower insert members for preventing disengagement of said interengageable means, said intermediate insert member and said body member having aligned aperture means therein, and a fastening element remova'bly extending into said aperture means and releasably retaining said intermediate insert member.

4. A breaker plate structure, as defined in claim 3, wherein said main body member is elongated, and said insert means includes a plurality of sets of said upper, lower, and intermediate insert members disposed along saidbody member.

5. A breaker plate structure, as defined in claim 3, wherein said main body member comprises laterally projecting upper. and lower marginal portions respectively presenting substantially upstanding seats and opposed downwardly and upwardly facing surf-aces, said upper and lower insert members respectively including first portions extending along and bearing against said seats and laterally projecting portions extending along said surfaces, and said intermediate insert member and said upper and lower [insert members including complementary engaging surfaces biasing said upper and lower insert members against said seats and toward said downwardly References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Adams July 22, 1958 Bridgewater July 17, 1962 

3. A BREAKER PLATE STRUCTURE FOR AN IMPACT CRUSHING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING A DETACHABLY MOUNTABLE MAIN BODY MEMBER, INSERT MEANS REMOVABLY SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING A FORWARDLY FACING SIDE OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID INSERT MEANS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER INSERT MEMBERS AND AN INTERMEDIATE INSERT MEMBER DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, INTERENGAGING MEANS BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER INSERT MEMBERS AND SAID MAIN BODY MEMBER FOR RESTRAINING SAID UPPER AND LOWER INSERT MEMBERS AGAINST LATERAL SEPARATION FROM SAID MAIN BODY MEMBER, SAID INTERMEDIATE INSERT MEMBER BEARING AGAINST SAID UPPER AND LOWER INSERT MEMBERS FOR PREVENTING DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS, SAID INTERMEDIATE INSERT MEMBER AND SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING ALIGNED APERTURE MEANS THEREIN, AND A FASTENING ELEMENT REMOVABLY EXTENDING INTO SAID APERTURE MEANS AND RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID INTERMEDIATE INSERT MEMBER. 